


The Legend of Heyijun

by CMacabreBats



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Air Nomads (Avatar), Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Angst, Badgermoles, Dragons, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), F/F, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Gen, M/M, Northern Water Tribe, POV First Person, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Southern Water Tribe, The Moon - Freeform, Worldbuilding, air bisons, fish waterbenders, toph beifong is EARTH QUEEN
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25331233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMacabreBats/pseuds/CMacabreBats
Summary: This is an Avatar: the Last Airbender continuation fan fiction where avatar: the legend of korra does not exist because I don't want it to. This is a work in progress so the storyline might change overtime.After the death of Avatar Aang, rebellion has sparked all throughout the four nations seizing control and dethroning the previous avatar's friends turned world leaders. Successful with their coup, the rebellion group has sought every last waterbender child in hopes to control the avatar cycle.Avatar Heyijun, the new avatar born in the outskirts of the southern tribe, has been forced to live on the run in the wilderness. As she traversed through the avatar path laid upon her and with no other person to teach her mastery over the four elements, she has to teach herself in order to survive and fulfill her duty as the next avatar.
Comments: 2





	1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

The day death claimed the previous avatar, Aang of the air nomads, was the day that the rebellion started. News of the keeper of balance of the world’s death was the sign the rebellion leaders were waiting for to hatch their plans. The rebellion members were gangs of benders and non-benders alike that conspired together for they saw fault in the current regime of the avatar and his friends-turned-world-leaders. 

The Rebellion had begun at the Fire Nation after the late Avatar Aang’s funeral. Fire Lord Zuko’s right hand and most trusted advisor, Shumei, also one of the heads of the rebellion, had betrayed and kidnapped him. The same fate fell upon Aang’s other friends, Katara of the southern water tribe, Sokka the Chieftain of the North and South tribes, and Toph the Earth Queen. Days after the betrayal of their most trusted allies, the rebellion declared the execution of the nation leaders within their respective nations. Hopelessness and grief split the nations apart. People who believed in the previous reign were torn between joining the resistance led by the order of the white lotus and hiding in fear of persecution by the rebellion.

Thus, the world had plunged itself once again into chaos. But as Aang met his end, the avatar cycle continues on. 

Somewhere along the icy tundras and the never-ending snowstorm of the south pole, a hut faraway from where the southern water tribe was located, the wails of the newb avatar could be heard. The sounds of the snowstorm accompanied by hail banged the huts beaten up walls and roof made of patched up planks. Rocks of ice had broke a window down, letting the cold breeze and snow get inside. Her father held her dearly, her eyes closed unaware of the dangerous journeys she would have to face as the new avatar. Her father, holding his beloved wife’s hand and cradling the newborn avatar on the other, shed tears as his wife’s grip slowly weakened. With her energy slowly draining, she yearned her arms towards her daughter. The father placed the avatar on her mother’s arms, her cries slowly calming down to a gentle whimper. Tears dripped down her mother's cheeks, aware of the inevitable end she would soon face. She handed back her daughter to the father, the child not letting go of her mother’s thumb with her little fingers. 

“Take care of her, Taiyuan,” she said with her last gasps of air, looking at her husband with love and sadness mixed knowing her time has come. 

She looked at her daughter one last time, the child innocently crying for her mother, arms reaching, longing for her. 

“I love you, Heyijun,” she whispered with her final breath. She closed her eyes, her hand fell to her side, dropping her head lifeless on the rough headboard.

The father, dismayed with grief, knew that there was nothing he could have done. No healer, midwife, nor signs of civilization was anywhere near them. He brought his head down towards where his beloved lay, letting go of the grief inside of him. His tears dripped down, unknown to him, trickling drip by drip onto his daughter forehead. He was lost from the emotions welling up inside from the lost of the love of his life. Only when his teardrops stopped dripping down but instead were floating and swirling in the air was he pulled back to his senses. Drawing in a breath of surprise, he saw his daughter, Heyijun, was waving her tiny little arms, in sync with the droplets of water swirling and floating around, pulling along the snow that had entered from the broken window. His father’s devastation had been overcome with pride and joy, for the discovery that his daughter being a waterbender. 

“Hejing,” he held his lifeless beloved’s hand, tears streaming down his face, “our daughter, a waterbender, like you.”

As Heyijun ceased from waving her little arms and had calmed down to a soft slumber, the water and snow stopped altogether, dropping to the wooden floor. Then, Taiyuan also noticed, as her daughter slept in his arms, the never-ending snowstorm had also stopped and light from the sun shined through the window, reflecting off the broken glass, bringing warmth for the first time in their tiny patched up hut. 

Years later, the rebellion had settled down, with the usurpers sitting in power and the resistance in hiding. The rebellion leaders have put finding the new avatar at the highest priority for only that can overthrow their reign. Knowing the next avatar would belong to the water tribes, they invaded the northern and southern tribes, seizingseizing and smiting down every resistance movement they encountered. The southerners and northerners alike tried to fight back, but the usurpers had numbers to their advantage. But, even with control over the north and south poles, the rebellion leaders have not yet found the new avatar. In desperation, the usurpers ordered down manhunts across the globe for all the children from the water tribe and the bounty for the new avatar to be captured alive with a promise of great rewards to the one who can bring her alive.


	2. Farewell, the Southern Water Tribe

**Chapter 2: Farewell, the Southern Tribe**

“Dad, where are we going?” 

My legs were throbbing from the long walk from our old hut to where the southern water tribe was found. My dad, Taiyuan, was pulling me through the crowd of tribesmen and women, all collecting at the southern sea docks. They were all towering over me wearing leather clothing dyed light blue with white fur attached to the hems and collars, only having my dad’s grip to guide me through them.

“I have a waterbending kid!” Dad shouted through the crowd, “let me through!”

Heads turning, after realizing who he was, eyes turning in detestation after realizing who my dad was. My dad didn't wear the same clothing as the other tribesmen. We wore the same light blue leather clothes except ours were tattered and did not have the embroidered markings of southern water tribe clothes. The tribesmen let him through, the crowd parting away letting us walk through them. I can now see the people on the docks and whom the tribal people were looking at. They were a mix of old and older gray-haired adults in white and blue robes. Their robes reached the dock floors covering their feet and had petals embroidered around their pearl white collars that extended from their necks to their shoulders. 

I held my dad’s hands tighter, his pleading gaze fixed towards the men in robes, eyebrows knit in seriousness. 

“Taiyuan,” the robed man at the forefront who had long white beard the reached his chest area greeted my father, forced and unwelcoming, “why have you set foot into the southern tribe? These people do not welcome you here anymore since you moved to your pitiful hut with the banished woman.”

My dad’s grip tightened, gritting his, and veins in his head throbbing at an effort for restraint, obviously angry over what the old robed man's comments.

“I have the utmost respect for the Order,” he said calmly and restrained, “but news has reached my _pitiful_ hut about the rebellion’s manhunt for waterbending children.”

My dad pulled me in front of him, placing his hands on my shoulder, gripping them tight. The robed men were in front of me, towering over me. I felt something bad about to happen, scaring me, water starting to build up in my eyes, fluttering in my stomach.

“She’s just eight years old,” my dad told the robed men, “her name is Heyujin, she’s a waterbender, like her mother.”

The robed man eyed me from head to toe, eyes striking through me in disgust at the mention of my likeness to my mother. I turned my eyes down, ashamed for some reason.

“Very well,” he said, turning to his comrades, “let her on the boat.”

My dad grabbed my hand again, walking me towards the boat with other children, crying for the people behind us. The robed men stopped my dad at his tracks, placing their hands on his shoulders. One robed man grabbed me by the arm, forcing me to let go of my dad. 

“I have to go with her!” My dad said in protest to the robed men restraining him.

“Only the children are allowed on the boat,” the robed man told my dad, “there is no more space for the parents.”

I screamed at the man pulling me towards the boat, tugging at my arm but utterly failing. With my free hand, I kept smacking at waving my arm around. I felt a sensation through my body, heat coursing through me and a deep connection to my surroundings. I felt anger and fear, wanting to pull away from this man. I looked behind me, towards my dad, and, the water from the sea collected on the docks, streams floating. I was confused by what was happening, all I wanted was to get away from this man. I started flailing my arms at him, and the seawater gushed out of control. The water that was collecting on the docks began to form a torrent hosing towards the robed man who was holding my hand tight and I when suddenly my flailing hand was frozen in a block of ice dropping to my side. The heat surging through me dissipated and the collected seawater dropped back to the dock floor in a splash. 

“We won’t hurt you,” another robed man appeared behind me in a soothing but alarmed voice, thawing my frozen hand with his waterbending, “but we need to keep you safe so please calm down.”

I tried to stop my tears, wiping them with my sleeves. Both my arms were being dragged by two robed men towards the boat. I looked back at my father, who was now one with the crowd of parents. As we reached the boat, my eyes never left him, fearing that I might lose him if I take my eyes off him. The robed men placed me up on the boat along with all the other crying children. 

“We’re casting off!” a robed man shouted, and all the other robed men got on the boat, untying the rope that connects us to the dock. 

As the docked started to move, my eyes never left my dad. He was mouthing something, along the lines of “i love you” and “we’ll meet again”. I couldn’t stop my crying, as did the other children beside me. The dock got smaller and smaller as we sailed farther away, as did my dad, until they disappeared completely.

Sailing through southern waters, no one talked. Dawn and dusk came, no sound came from the children. Mourning could be seen from all of our faces. The robed men were busy sailing the ship, bending the glaciers of the southern sea away from the boat. The men were saying that we were sailing northwest, away from the southern air temple and towards the earth kingdom. 

As days went by, the children from the water tribe soon started talking with each other. They all knew each other for they lived in the same tribe all of their lives. I was different, no one seemed to talk to me. I was a stranger to them, and I didn’t try to talk to them. I just sat at the back of the boat, looking over the water as we sailed. Until one day, on lunch a girl sat by me as I was eating fish and porridge that we ate everyday. She had hair loopies as did the other girls of the water tribe. She had a rounded face with very light blue eyes, separating her from the other water tribe girls. I didn’t try to start conversation with her as I ate my food pretending she’s not there.

“What’s your name?” she said cheerily, “Mine’s Lian!”

She had a grin on her face, which I found weird but soothing at the same time. 

“My name’s Heyujin,” I said, a little jumpy. I was surprised by the sound of my voice from days of not speaking. 

“How come I’ve never seen you around before?” she asked while eating her porridge. "And why are your clothes different?"

“My dad and I live far away from the water tribe.” I told her, “I don’t know why though.”

“Really?” she said enthusiastically, “Is that why you were so good at waterbending? You must have trained all day everyday!”

“What?” I asked, confused at what she’s saying, “the best I could waterbend is making small waves in puddles.”

“Don’t be modest!” She had her eyes at me, grinning in excitement. “We all saw you waterbend that giant stream on the docks! It was so awesome and scary, that’s why all the other kids were sort of scared by you.”

“I didn’t do that,” I said looking back at her, knitting my eyebrows in both confusion and annoyance, “stop lying!”

“I’m not lying! I promise!” she said, trying to be as sincere as possible, “I even thought your eyes were glowing but it must have just been my eyes getting cloudy from crying. You know everyone was crying the whole time, even me.” 

She laughed, but soon sighed at her porridge. I kept my head down, missing my dad. Lian must have also missed her parents because she's been quiet for a while.

“Lian!” Another water tribe boy called at her. “We’re gonna start soon!”

“I’ll be right there!” She shouted back. “We’re gonna play around with the otter penguins, wanna join?”

“I’d rather stay here,” I said, head down, avoiding her eyes.

“Oh,” she said a little disappointed, “okay then.”

She stood up and went back to where the water tribe kids were playing. I finished my food and returned the plates to the robed men. I went back to my spot, peeking at Lian and the other kids playfully throwing snow at the otter penguins. I turned my head back to the back of the boat, the usual scenery of ice and water playing through. I waterbended little waves alongside the boat as we sailed through to pass the time. The day went by without talking to anyone again.

Since that day, Lian had always sat by me during lunch. She did all the talking, telling me all about life in the southern tribe. I didn’t talk much. Living away from people except my dad, there’s not much stories to tell. The days went by, and before I realized it, I was always excited for lunch. 

The scenery changed after a few days of sailing. The ice started disappearing, signs that we’re leaving southern waters and nearing land. I overheard the robed men talking. We’re heading for Omashu where the Order had more of its people. I guess that’s what they’re called. I paid it no mind and kept on with my daily routine.

After a few weeks of sailing, hiding in mist done by waterbenders among the robed men, we reached land. The boat was pulled up on the beach shore. There were no docks or buildings in sight, only a dense forest behind where the sand ends. A mountain range could be seen above the trees far away. It’s the first time for all of us children who lived their whole lives down at the icy south pole to see the beach and forest. The robed men had let us enjoy the view as they brought down things from the ship. After the boat was empty, the robed men destroyed the boat with their bending. The other kids were too distracted by their new surroundings to notice. Only Lian, a few other kids, and I were watching the robed men destroy the boat. The waterbenders then pushed the boat towards the sea using waves. Using the waves, they cleaned up the shipwreck, and just like that, it was like the boat was never there.

“Why would they do that?” Lian asked me.

“They must be trying to hide our tracks,” another kid who was watching interrupted.

“Well why would they do that, Zhun?” this time, Lian asked the boy whose name is apparently Zhun.

“I don’t know,” Zhun said, his eyes averting ours.

After a few moments, more people in white and blue robes were coming towards our group. They had about three caravans each pulled by Chickhorses, horses that had chicken heads and two large chicken feet, but the body was still of a horse covered in horse hair instead of feathers. The robed men in our group welcomed them. The robed men opened the boxes they brought down from our ship and inside were green earth kingdom clothes. They each gave us a pair, told us to go change and give them our old water tribe clothes. After everyone has changed into our new clothes, the robed men collected our old clothes and stored them in the box. They divided us into three groups, fortunately, Lian was in my group. They led us inside the caravans designated to us. The caravan was hooded, we could not be seen and no one could see us. Once everyone was in, including the robed men, we started to move. Our caravan was the last one, and I could see the beach where we left off. The box with our old water tribe clothes was nowhere to be seen, until I spotted the burnt planks floating along the beach. They must have burned our old clothes and not tell us because we might have been sentimental to them. At least, that’s what I think.

The days went by as we travelled through land this time. The scenery never changed, always just dense forests. We had lunch to have the chickhorses rest and we camp at nightfall. Lian and I still talk because that’s about the only thing we could do to pass the time. I realized that Zhun was also in our group. He was a shy boy, had brown skin and dark blue eyes, just like most of the boys with us. He has a small scar on his jaw that I don’t dare ask about and two moles along his right temple. We never talked but he always talked to Lian and the other water tribe kids. He always avoided eye contact with me, averting his eyes whenever I happen to look at him. 

At night, I could never sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I start to think about my father, how much I miss him. I start to cry every night, keeping my whimpering silent. I was always groggy throughout the day, but could never sleep during the night. Some of the children were the same as me. I could see the bags under their eyes, and the tired look they have. I wondered if I had the same look on my face as well.

After a few days, the forest cleared up and now we’re travelling along a rocky path, upwards along the mountains. Eavesdropping on the robed men was about the only entertaining thing to do, we Lian and I tried to gather as much as possible. The robed men said that we were reaching west of General Fong’s old fortress, someone I have never heard of before. But they said the rebellion had taken over that fortress so we can’t pass through there, that’s why we’re going through the mountain path right around the fortress. Lian and I had no idea what they were talking about, but we guessed that the rebellion were the people who were looking for us. 

It was hard travelling along the rocky path towards the mountain route. The caravan kept jumping up and down from the humps of the uneven road. Some of the children, including me, got sick from all the rocking and shaking. We often made stops so those of us who were sick could rest. We had to continue travelling. I was sick the whole time until nightfall came and we stopped and camped along the rocky path. There was a dense forest at both sides but not as dense as the one we went through days back. The campfire was started by the firebenders among the robed men. Lian told me that firebenders were bad once upon a time, then they became good after the 100-year war. I think that there’s more to that story but it must have been what the elders at the water tribe told the children in a fairytale like manner. 

Lian was telling me more about the southern tribe’s folktales that the southern tribe school taught them when people in masks suddenly appeared from the forest trees. They were scary looking, all in black and red clothing. Some had brandished swords to them while some were barehanded, probably benders in their group. Their masks were colored white and had a tiger drawn on them. They ran towards us, ready to attack. The robed men stood up, and ran between us and the masked people. Earthbenders among the robed men rose a giant earth wall, shaking the ground, separating us from the masked people. The robed firebenders held light in their hand, telling us to follow them through the forest. We only had the moonlight and the firebenders as our light source, and everyone was panicking to get close to the robed men. It was chaos. Children were panicking as we ran to the forest. Lian was holding my hand while we were trying to keep up with the robed men, and I was still sick through my stomach, weak on my knees. The little sleep I got was taking a huge toll on me. Children behind me were pushing and pulling at me, trying to get away from the masked people. I was getting weaker by the minute. Lian was pulling me, trying to have me keep up with the panicking running children. Suddenly, I tripped on something and my hand slipped off of Lian’s. I dropped down, and little feet were stampeding over me. I tried to cover my head, but my body was taking too many hits. She screamed back at the children but no one was listening. She was trying to come back for me, but she couldn’t overpower the children. She was being pushed back to where the crowd was running to. After a while, the stampede stopped. I looked back up and saw the light from the robed firebenders fading away, along with the cries of the panicking children.

I heard explosions behind me, getting nearer and nearer. It must be from the other robed men that tried to hold off the masked people. One last explosion and the forest went silent. I didn’t know where to go. I know that I’d be too slow to catch up with Lian and the others, I’ll get caught if I do that. 

I had to hide. Fast. 

I went sidewards from where the children and robed men were running to. All I could do was run, not knowing where I was going. My feet were aching and my body was sore. I almost hit a rock wall because of running straight with no light but the moon. It was a good thing I stopped before it hit me face first. The rock wall extended from left and right, as far as I can see in the darkness. There was no use getting around it, I would get caught if I tried. I looked around and saw a small bush, but it was big enough to hide me. I also saw a puddle of water sitting nearby. I concentrated, and pulled the water near the bush, in case I need to defend myself. I hid inside the bush, pushing its branches to hide parts of my body that were exposed. I tried pulling the water upwards, freezing it, trying to make a sharp ice shard to defend myself with. I succeeded, but it was a small shard, blunt as well, but that’s all I could do with my skill and energy. 

I waited, but the forest was silent. There was no sign of anything, not even animals. My eyes were heavy, and the night went on. I tried to stay alert but my weak body is trying to say otherwise. Without realizing it, my head lied down on the uncomfortable bush leaves and my eyes shut themselves. Then, I was asleep.


	3. The Mountain Cave

**Chapter 3: The Mountain Cave**

I woke up with the sun shining through the bush hitting my eyes. My ice shard had melted away as I was sleeping leaving a puddle of water where my arms lay. I’m still alive, closing my eyes in relief, and still at the same place where I passed out, meaning the masked people had not caught me. I felt a surge of relief, but easily went away and was replaced by anxiety for what happened to Lian. 

_There’s no point in thinking about that._ I tried to calm myself. _I just hope she’s safe_.

I got up and out of the bush I was hiding in. I didn’t know what to do. But I know I had to do something to survive, for now, something my dad had always told living in the dangerous tundras of the never-ending storm. Willing the water to my control, I made my little ice shard again, in case I needed to protect myself, gripping it tight and tried slicing a leaf but to no avail for it was a bit too blunt. I guess my ice craft making needed more practice.

I walked around the forest, searching for something to eat. My dad had taught me how to hunt, but he was always the one to build the fire whenever we went hunting. I can't hunt for animals then since I obviously can't eat them raw. I resorted to try looking for fruits, but they were very hard to find. I returned back to the rock wall, trying to walk alongside the solid walls. I found some tiny blackberries from a bush along the rock wall. I gathered as many berries as I can, placing them on a makeshift pouch using my leather shirt. I marked the rock wall with a happy face using my ice shard in case I get hungry again and need to find where these little fruits were. It took a long time with my very blunt shard, but I got it done. It was the middle of the day, the sun brightly shining right above me, I felt the need for a source of water. I walked towards the forest to look for some clean water source. It was quiet and quite dim, as the towering trees provided shade but still, sun rays pokes through the tree leaves. I spotted orange fur creeping silently along my peripheral. It was a wild fox antelope walking around. Its body was small, like the body of the ice wolves in the south pole, but slender and burnt orange in color having few white spots along its hide. It had two horns extending upwards, branching into tiny spikes like small trees. It was mesmerizing to watch as it pranced along the forest floor. I followed it, like dad had told me if I ever needed water when lost in the woods that an animal would get thirsty one way or another so following it would lead me to a source of water. So I tailed the fox antelope all day, keeping track of where I am and where the rock wall is so I won’t get lost. Sometimes I would spook the animal whenever I clumsily step on a tree branch or rustle some fallen leaves. But my efforts weren’t in vain as the fox antelope walked and drank at a small stream that ran along in the middle of the forest. I ran towards the stream, desperate to quench my thirst, making small amounts of water float and removing tiny bits of dirty from the water. I know it isn’t safe but it's worth the risk for the need to get by, so I drank the water from the stream.

The sky had colored to dark orange. I must have lost track of time while following the fox antelope, which I had also lost track of as I was drinking. It must have ran off into the forest once it had quenched its thirst. I went back to the rock wall because it was starting to get dark. I ate some of the blackberries I picked earlier, conserving it as much as I can. I collected fallen leaves and snapped branches from bushes along the forest so I can build a makeshift bed. I placed the bed alongside the rock wall. As it got dark, I tried to get some sleep, but I had a hard time. Because of both yesterday's reason I couldn’t get enough sleep and as well as being uncomfortable and scared at the same time.

I felt myself starting to drift off into sleep when I felt small pebbles falling and hitting the side of my head. I got up, squinted my eyes to see where these pebbles were coming from. A small sheep goat was stuck at a rock edge right above the makeshift where I was trying to sleep. It looked like it needed help or it’d fall right off the edge and injure itself.

“Hold on!” I screamed at the animal. 

The sheep goat got agitated and more pebbles started falling, must have thought I was a threat from the way I screamed. 

_Idiot._ I scolded myself. _W_ _hy did I do that? It can’t understand what I'm saying._

I racked my head for a way to get the goat down, looking around to see what could help me.

_I got it_. I smiled in optimism.

I hurriedly gathered more leaves from the bushes nearby, placing them on my makeshift bed. I looked for the puddle I saw before, making two more ice shards, trying to make them sharper and stronger this time. I stood facing the rock wall, right beside from where the sheep goat was. I looked for crevices in the rock wall, hammering my ice shards like a pick my dad and I used when climbing icy cliffs back in the tundras. Methodically, I was starting to scale the wall towards the goat. The goat wasn’t that high up so after a few moments of carefully climbing upwards, I was right beside the woolly sheep goat. It was taller than me, but I wasn’t that big of a kid, so almost everything was taller than me. It looked right at me with its square pupils wide open, scared that I might do something to hurt him. 

“Don’t worry,” I said as soothingly as I can, “I’m here to help.”

It just stared at me, watching my every move. Its foot was barely standing on the narrow edge. I leaned near it, trying to get closer. It cocked its head back but couldn’t go anywhere. After getting close enough, I let go of the shard closer to the goat, reached toward the animal slowly, and pushed the goat off the narrow edge. The goat squealed as it rolled down the rock wall, its bushy wool protecting it from getting scraped all over, but from the landing cushion I prepared earlier, it landed safely with the sound of leaves and branches that rustled below. After recovering from the fall, it stood up and walked away into the forest without looking back. 

_I did it._ I smiled in accomplishment. 

But the feeling didn’t last as I realized that now I’m the one stuck up here. I grabbed back onto the ice shard I just let go of, and move towards the narrow edge where the sheep goat stood before, my front against the rock wall, placing the ice shards beside me for something to hold on to. My toes were barely grabbing on to the very narrow rock edge. I could slide down the way the goat did but I’m sure I’d get scratches all over as I apparently have no protective wool around my body. I also feared I might not land on the cushion and land on solid ground. 

I was about to take my chances when the rock I was leaning against started to move vibrate. I thought with my luck that an earthquake was happening while stuck in this situation. But then suddenly, the rock wall retreated as I fell down face first in front of a dark tunnel. The moonlight barely shining through, I could only see darkness. A large head half the size of my body peeked into the moonlight covered by dark orange fur with streaks of white and black hair surrounding its gray eyes. Then it moved its body forward, light illuminating it. It had giant paws that had extremely long and sharp black nails. Its head was small in proportion to its body which was humongous compared to me, like a very large badger rat. I realized now that it was a badger mole. I only know from reading my mom's old books back in the woods. I remember faintly that these giant animals were blind and lived in mountains, making caves and tunnels of their own. 

It moved its head closer to me, sniffing all over my body. It can't see me, so it was examining me through its nose. I stifled a scream, trembling over the massive beast in front of me. But it was gentle with me, suddenly feeling calm, the badgermole poked its whiskers at me. It tickled me and I giggled at it, remembering how my dad used to tickled me back at home. I patted the badgermole in the head, recognizing that it was friendly, smiling at it even though I know it couldn't see me.

Then, it bit my shirt through its teeth, gently enough to not poke holes, and lifted me off the ground. I felt scared again, but I tried to calm down so I wouldn't agitate the beasts. It moved its paws, slamming the ground, and then the ground at the tunnel entrance rose, closing it off, just like earthbending. I couldn’t see anything as darkness engulfed everything, moonlight blocked off by the rock wall that closed up the tunnel. 

“Where are you taking me?” I asked the badgermole in a nervous and scared voice, realizing after that it was very much pointless.

I heard it slam its paws again, echoing through the tunnel, and heard the earth move once more. This time, blue green light shone through a newly open tunnel. It was coming from glowing crystals that were scattered along the tunnel walls, lighting the place turquoise green. Inside the tunnel was another badgermole, a smaller one but still a bit larger than me. I could tell that it was a badgermole cub, and the badgermole that brought me here was its parent. The small badgermole walked towards me, inspecting me through its nose. I patted its head as well, giggling at it as its whiskers had also been tickling me all over. The parent badgermole laid down, calling its child towards it. I’m guessing they’re about to sleep. The small badgermole walked towards its parent. The parent badgermole didn’t stop calling even though the small badgermole was already with it, pointing and nodding its head at me. I guessed it must have been calling for me. I think it must have taken me into its care, like I was a lost cub, which I practically was.

_I guess I’m sleeping with them tonight_ , I told myself. _Not like I could go anywhere else._

I walked towards the parent badgermole, and settled down beside both of them, trying to find somewhere comfortable to sleep. I leaned against the parent badgermole, surprised at how soft and comfy its fur was. I smiled, finally being able to relax. The parent badgermole slammed its paw again and the crystal that was shining light broke into pieces, plunging the tunnel into darkness. Scared at first, but eventually, my eyes closed and I was asleep.

I woke up to the parent badgermole moving, standing up. It must be daytime already, even though I couldn’t see anything, I felt rested for the first time in a while. The small badgermole must’ve woken up as well, as I could hear little tapping of paws near me. I wondered how they saw through all this darkness. How they managed to navigate through their tunnels.

I tried to follow their footsteps, as all I could use was hearing. The smaller one’s footsteps were near me but slowly walking away from me. I could hear it tapping its paws, as its long fingernails clacked against the rocky floor. I tried to do it too. I slammed my feet into the ground. Suddenly, I could hear the earth move, just like how the badgermole moved rocks.

_I could earthbend too?_ I said in confusion.

It could just be my ears playing tricks on me. Or a coincidence and that it was actually the badgermoles that made the sound. I tried following the badgermoles steps, walking blindly towards their sound. All I could hear was tapping in front of me. I tried to do that as well. I went on all fours, trying to see how the badgermoles see using only their tappings. I could hear the small badgermole coming near me, its steps getting closer. I could tell it was right in front of me, as I could feel its breath directly at my face. It slammed its paw into the ground. I’m guessing that’s how they see, by feeling the ground beneath them by slamming it with their paws. It didn’t make much sense to me. But I was willing to try. I lifted my hand above me, and striked it down towards the ground. My palm hit the ground and suddenly, I could feel everything around me, like my hand struck everything around me. It was as if everything vibrated, and I could feel where everything was. I was right that the smaller badgermole was right in front of me, and the bigger one was far away from us. I could feel everything move through my hand. 

The smaller badgermole playfully licked my nose. I smiled at it, now completely understanding how it moves around this place. 

“I’m calling you Lan, and your parent Gang,” I told the badgermole.

It licked me in response, and I took it as it saying it likes the name. I stood up, trying the same thing I did to my hands using my feet this time. I slammed my foot down, and the same thing happened. I could see everything, even the tunnels that weren’t connected to this one. I could also see more badgermoles far away from us. I also could see where I entered, and how this isn’t a rock wall but a mountain. But something caught my attention, a cave that had underground vegetation and water was near us. It was somewhere to our left right below us. I wanted to go there but I don’t know how to earthbend. 

_Maybe they could still teach me more than just how to see in the dark?_ I asked myself mischievously.

I walked towards where Gang was. I got down on all fours again, this time I could see everything Gang was doing. He moved his paws sideways, like he was commanding the earth to move for him. Then, he slammed his paws to the ground and moved his paws in a circular motion. I could feel the shockwaves he sent through the earth. Suddenly the ground moved for him, creating a tunnel deeper into the mountain. I was amazed how he did this, and I wanted to do it too. 

Still on fours, I faced the direction where the underground cave was. I tried to replicate what Gang just did, I could feel Lan watching right beside me. I moved my palms, feeling the ground beneath me. I took a deep breath, relaxing, encouraging myself that I can do this, that I will make the earth move for me. I lifted my hands, and struck the ground. I could feel the tremor I sent through the ground, the tunnel wall I was facing cracked. I smirked in delight. I twisted my wrist, and moved my hands away from each other. Then, the earth followed. The crack parted the tunnel wall in front of me, creating another tunnel. It wasn’t that deep but it led closer to where the cave was. It was a downhill path, right towards the cave.

_I did it_ . I said to myself, grinning from ear to ear. _I’m an earthbender!_

I cheered in delightful glee, Gan and Lan looking at me strangely. I calmed myself down. I entered the tunnel I just made, Lan following me. I struck the ground with my feet to see where the cave was. It was nearer, about two more of the length of this tunnel and I’d break through. This time, I tried to do it on my feet. I stood against the end of the tunnel, placing my palms in front of me. I took a deep breath. I remembered how the robed earthbenders did their earthbending. They stood in a stance, feet apart. I replicated the stance they did, combining it with the things I learned from Lan and Gang. Through my feet, I could see the wall I was facing against. I moved my left foot in a circular fashion. The same goes with my arms, lifting them up, circling the joints of my shoulder. I lifted my left foot up and struck the ground, and with one big exhale, I smacked my palms against the wall. The earth vibrated, quaking from the tremors I sent through. At the same time my palms touched the wall, it moved, retreating further, making the tunnel longer. I must have put in more power this time, since the tunnel went deeper than the first time I did it.

“C’mon Lan,” I told the small badgermole, and he followed suit.

I ran towards the tunnel’s end, thanking myself for a job well done. As I reached the end of the tunnel, I struck the ground again to see where we were at. This time, only a wall separates the cave and I. With a strike to the ground with my foot, and a smack of my fist to the wall, the wall came crumbling down. Light shone through the cave. I rubbed my eyes, adjusting my vision from staying in the dark for too long. Once my eyes had fully adjusted, I gasped at the beauty before me. The body of water was large, and glowed bright. Flowers from the vegetation near the water glowed blue as well. At the other side of the cave, there was a tree that stood tall up to the cave’s ceiling. I was awestruck of the beauty of the place. But more than that I was thirsty. I ran towards the water, and it was crystal clear. I trusted that the mountain had filtered the water clean, and I didn’t have much of a choice so I drank the water. I could see that there were no fish living inside the water, but several glowing crystals were underneath. After quenching my thirst, I noticed that there was an egg along the shallow parts of the pond. I looked at it, investigating the egg. It was blue, but translucent, you could see something inside but it was cloudy. I tried to touch the egg, and it was hard as a rock, like it was made of glass. I looked behind me and saw something I hadn’t noticed. A salamander turtle lying down at the opposite side of the cave pond.

I walked towards the turtle. As I got near it, I noticed its eyes were closed. It was a large animal, as large as Gang, maybe even larger. It had a weird head with flaps that had tiny hairs underneath. Its scales were blue with spots of green. The shell was a mix of blue and green, that had spots of yellow. I thought it was sort of cool looking. It had a long tail with fins at the end, lying along its body. Then, I noticed it wasn’t breathing. I poked at it, to see if it was alive, and it wasn’t. I felt sad. It had to die here alone. I wondered how it got here. I walked back towards the pond and saw that at the deeper parts of the pond was a hole. It must have gotten lost here through there when it was little, got stuck here and lived here until it grew old.

I returned to where the turtle lay. I touched its blue green shell. It was hard, extremely hard. 

“I hope you had a happy life in this cave, farewell.” I bit the salamander turtle farewell, eyes closed.

I opened my eyes, realizing what I have to do. I have to bury the turtle otherwise, it’d spread decay here. It hasn’t started decaying so it might have just died not long ago. I climbed its shell, to the top as it was lying against the rock wall. I smacked my palm into the wall, trying to see where the exit was. I sensed it was straightforward. With both palms, I struck the wall and made the tunnel towards the exit. I adjusted the walls width and height so I can push the giant through easily. I went inside the giant tunnel, earthbending it deeper and deeper. I repeated the adjustments I did earlier with the walls, making them larger and wider. After a few repetitions of walking, tunneling and adjusting, I broke through the wall to the outside. We were on ground level, and it was the middle of the day. I stepped out of the tunnel and the sun greeted my skin with warmth. 

I walked for a few steps away from the tunnel. It was fortunate that the rock wall had enough space of a clearing for what I’m about to do. I stomped my feet on the ground, ordering the earth to create a giant hole. I moved my arms downwards, as if pushing the ground down using only my willpower, and the ground beneath me did move. It was a giant hole but not as deep as I would have liked. I took a deep breath, repeated the movement I did before. After doing so for several times, the hole was now a pit. I couldn’t see the bottom, but I could sense that it was deep enough to bury the body of the salamander turtle.

I walked back into the tunnel, back to the cave where the dead salamander turtle lies. It was in the way of the cave entrance, so I climbed its shell once more, dropping to the other side on my two feet. I was starting to feel tired, but I had to keep going. Planting my feet on the ground, I focused, forcing my will on to the earth. I wanted to make two large pillars solid rock to spring out of the ground. Taking a deep breath, I stomped both feet on the ground and raised my two arms upwards. Then, as if on cue, two massive pillars sprung out of the earth. 

Now, I have to push the giant salamander turtle through the tunnel. Keeping my stance firm on the ground, I focused all of my energy to my hands and feet. I readied myself, taking another deep breath, and pushed my hands forward. I felt as if I was pushing against a hard wall, when there was nothing in front of me except the rock pillars and the turtle that were a few steps away from me. But it took a great effort within me to push through this invisible wall. I felt as if the two pillars were a part of my body, having it do what I want. Then, the two pillars began moving, pushing the turtle through the tunnel. It was slow, but as I kept pushing and pushing, ordering the earth pillars to push the turtle for me, I gained momentum. I took a few steps forward, when the whole of the turtle body was inside the tunnel, not letting go of my stance. I pushed forward, draining myself, but the momentum made it easier, even if it was just by a little bit. After draining almost every ounce of energy I had left, with one last push, the body was finally outside the tunnel. I sat against the tunnel wall, exhausted from the effort. I noticed that it was nearing sundown, with the sun shining an orange light. I needed to bury the body before it got dark. 

After a few minutes of resting, I got up and returned to my stance. The pit was only a few feet away. I repeated what I had been doing earlier, firming my stance then pushing the body using the pillars as if they were extensions of my arms. My arms were sore but eventually, the body started moving again. I closed my eyes, sweat dripping everywhere. I was about to pass out from exhaustion, when suddenly I heard a dud. The body had fallen in, and the pillars were on the edge of the pit. If I hadn’t stopped, I would’ve tripped myself over, joining the dead salamander turtle in the pit. The body perfectly fit inside the pit, deep enough for its giant body but had enough space for me to completely bury it.

“Farewell, Mr. Salamander turtle,” I said on my knees, bowing to it just like how dad taught me when we visited mom’s grave.

I stood up, and with only one last thing to do, I stomped my feet on the ground several times, pushing my arms forward, then arms down, palms facing the ground. Just like that, the pillar collapsed, and the earth surrounding the pit collapsed as well. The earth began burying the body of the salamander turtle. I stopped when I couldn’t see any part of the body anymore.. I stomped the ground and sensed that it was way underneath there. The ground looked disheveled, like the earth sunk right below where I was standing. It was a sloppy job but I got it done. I sighed in accomplishment, the sun setting gave the serene view, a solemn one as I just bid farewell to a magnificent creature. 

I walked back to the tunnel, realizing I have to close this up since I don’t want any more animals walking into the cave. I was exhausted, but this was the final thing. I did my stance and raised my arms weakly, but the ground beneath me still rose up to the tunnel ceiling, making a rock wall that sealed the entrance of the cave. I turned my back from it, following the straightforward path back to the cave. I walked towards the pond, drank the water from it. I noticed that the thing inside the egg was moving. I guess it must be nearing its hatch.

Lan and Gang came in through the other entrance to the cave. I’m guessing it must be getting dark. Gang walked towards the tree, finding a place to settle down and calling for both Lan and I. We both walked towards Gang, scooching right next to him. I leaned on his very relaxing fur. I must have been so exhausted that I passed out almost immediately. 


End file.
